Future Fliers

COMMUNITY SAFETY

Delray, Boca Teens Are Ready To Get Their Longtime Dream Airborne.

Since kindergarten, Rebecca Cutri-Kohart and Keith Largay, both of Boca Raton, have dreamed of flying an airplane.

Now they're teen-agers, and their dream is coming true.

But they're playing it safe by doing it right.

Cutri-Kohart, 16, a sophomore at Atlantic High School in Delray Beach, and Largay, 16, a junior at Spanish River High in Boca Raton, recently began formal flight-training at Boca Raton Municipal Airport.

Both have an eye toward getting their private pilot's license by 1996.

The training comes courtesy of $2,000 scholarships from the Boca Raton Airport Authority and the Boca Raton Pilots Association.

Largay said he applied for the scholarship because he wanted to learn how to fly, but couldn't afford regular lessons.

"I feel honored that I was selected," he said. "Flying is something I always wanted to do. Thanks to the Pilots Association, I can."

If the teens were grateful to the airport authority and pilots association for the scholarships, the agencies were just as grateful to the students for their applications.

"This is a great program," said Mark Wantshouse, pilots association president. "It gives younger people an opportunity to excel as a pilot. It also brings new life into our [flying) community, and the general aviation industry."

Largay was required to add letters of recommendation to his scholarship application. Among the teachers he tapped was Debra Stenner, his English teacher at Spanish River.

"He's a fabulous student, and a bright, ethical and responsible young man," Stenner said."I'm not surprised that Keith won. He always had an interest in aviation."

Cutri-Kohart and Largay both attribute their interest in flying to their parents and grandparents.

Largay's grandfather, Charles Largay, was a U.S. Navy pilot who flew seaplanes during World War II and the Korean War.

His father, Charles Largay Jr., first flew at the age of 16 and later became a private pilot.

"My father inspired me to fly," Largay said. "When I was 5 years old, he took me to airports to watch planes take off and land. At age 6, I would play with the landing gear on one of my father's planes he [was building) in the garage."

Meanwhile, Cutri-Kohart's grandfather, Donald Kohart, also was a private pilot.

In addition, the idea of space travel also has intrigued her.

"I always wanted to fly into space, but I knew I would have to learn how to fly a plane first," she said. "I applied for the scholarship so I can fly and pursue and aviation and aerospace career."

Being in a plane is nothing new to Cutri-Kohart.

As a member of the Ninety-niners Club, an international organization of female pilots, Cutri-Kohart has flown in plenty of private planes.

"I can't wait to pilot those private planes," she said. While riding in a private plane, "I really like I'm flying," she said. "Unlike when I'm inside an airline jet, where I feel like I'm in a flying schoolbus."

Speaking of schools, among the teachers who wrote her letters of recommendation was Randolph Whittle, her history teacher at Atlantic.

"For almost a year, I've been aware of Rebecca's interest and love for rockets and aviation," Whittle said. "She's an excellent history student who continues to put extra effort into her work with model rockets, space camps and aerospace research projects."

Both students said they plan to make aviation and aerospace their careers.

Largay said he plans to become a commercial airline pilot, while Cutri-Kohart plans to become a flight instructor, and a rocket-shuttle designer for NASA.